Posted on December 10th, 2005 — in Demographics :: Economy and Business
California continues to be a magnet for immigrants, but the immigrant population is also spreading to other states. In 1990 California had 33 percent of foreign-born U.S. residents and 45 percent of all unauthorized immigrants. Today those shares are 28 percent and 24 percent, respectively. That’s according to a new study from the California Regional Economies Project, which summarizes that status of immigration in the California experience.
The Impact of Immigration on the California Economy
Posted on December 9th, 2005 — in Education
Good news, bad news for public schools, according to a report from The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning. The good news is that the state has far fewer uncredentialed teachers in public schools — 20,000 last year, less than half the number just four years before. This is because the state has been producing a lot of new teachers. We have a third more than we did a decade ago. The problem is that they are old; almost a third are over age 50. So with impending retirements, researchers predict another teacher shortage is around the corner.
The Status of the Teaching Profession 2005
Posted on December 8th, 2005 — in Security
How prepared is California for a public health emergency, such as a bioterrorism attack? The Trust for America’s Health gives the state a 5 on a scale of 0 to 10. The best states got an 8, the worst a 2.
Ready or Not? Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism
Posted on December 7th, 2005 — in Growth, Development & Infrastructure
Put some parks money in that big infrastructure bond issue everyone is talking about. The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research finds that one out of four California adolescents lacks access to a safe park. Why is this important? Because, unsurprisingly, kids are more active when they live near a park. Activity, in turn, helps them avoid obesity and other problems. There’s also good news here for folks in small towns: Teen activity is higher in rural areas than urban ones.
Access to Safe Parks Helps Increase Physical Activity Among Teenagers
Posted on December 6th, 2005 — in Economy and Business :: Health Care
Small businesses are much less likely than large ones to offer their employees health insurance, but short of creating a universal health care system, public policy may be limited in providing solutions. The California HealthCare Foundation concludes that small businesses are not very sensitive to price reductions when it comes to offering coverage. “Even large subsidies are likely to have a small effect on the number of businesses that offer health benefits,” the report says.
Coverage Expansion: Is Small Business the Key to Insuring More Californians?
Posted on December 5th, 2005 — in Politics :: Polls and Surveys
The 2005 special election not only was a kick in the teeth for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger; it may also have tempered Californians love affair with the initiative process, at least as it exists today. A poll from the Public Policy Institute of California finds strong support for various reforms. Require initiative sponsors and the Legislature to haggle over compromises before a measure goes to voters? Supported by 83 percent. A system of “review and revision” to avoid legal problems and drafting errors? Backed by 77 percent. Allow the governor to call a special election on initiatives only with the consent of the Legislature? OK with 54 percent. This seems to be related to recent events: Support for reforms is strongest among voters who thought the special election was a bad idea.
Special Survey on Californians and the Initiative Process
Posted on December 4th, 2005 — in Health Care
Here’s the latest on health insurance in California, courtesy of the California HealthCare Foundation. Essentially the story is one of rising costs. Premiums for a family of four rose 8.2 percent in 2005 while California inflation was only 3.9 percent. The percentage of workers with a $20 copayment increased. Most large employers say they are either “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to raise employee contributions in 2006. In a separate report, the same group analyzes the market for individual health insurance too.
California Employer Health Benefits Survey
Individual Health Insurance Market
Posted on December 3rd, 2005 — in Resources and Environment
California gave the nation tax revolts and the digital revolution. Now apparently there’s one more thing to add to the list: dirty air. Three environmental groups report that coal-fired power plants across the American West are churning out power for distant Californians and air pollution for local residents. The “California share” of these pollutants often tops the amount of similar material released within the state by our own power plants. And the out-of-state plants are not nearly as clean as the in-state generators.
Cleaning California’s Coal Shadow from the American West
Posted on December 2nd, 2005 — in Children and Families :: Health Care
Children Now gives California a report card for how we’re treating our children. The upshot: They’re born healthy but soon grow fat. The best grade, a B+, is awarded for infant health programs. The worst mark is for childhood obesity, where the state gets a D.
California Report Card 2005: An Assessment of Children’s Well-Being
Posted on December 1st, 2005 — in Demographics :: Education
Why do Californians remember the post-war years as the state’s Golden Age? The conventional wisdom is that the state government was more robust and produced grand accomplishments. But a fascinating chart in a new study from the Survey Research Center at UC-Berkeley suggests another possible explanation. (Overall, the report argues for greater investments in higher education, which pay off later in higher incomes, more tax revenues, and lower costs for social services.) Researchers found that in 1960, per-capita income in California was 25 percent above the national mark. Today, the state’s margin is well under 10 percent, and projected to drop even more. So maybe people remember the “Golden Age” not so much for public policy as personal wealth. Compared to other states, moving to California really did mean hitting the jackpot. Today that’s less true.
Return on Investment: Educational Choices and Demographic Change in California’s Future